For the Canada Day long weekend a couple of weeks ago, my wife and I decided to try full camping, tents, bags, and cooking, two up on our bike for the first time. We had done weekend trips before but this was the first where we hadn't booked a room. With the weather this summer it could have gone either way.

From downtown Toronto we headed about 175 km east towards Lakefield to a Conservation area. We stuck mostly to backroads to Port Hope. For those that are interested, from Port Hope we took Duke Road north to Millbrook, then Wallace Point Road northeast to Peterborough and finally along the very scenic and twisty Nassau Mills Road to Lakefield. Then east from there to Warsaw Caves Conservation Centre. This is our first report so we'll figure out the maps and how to shoot from the bike as we go.

Anyway, you didn't come here for the text. You came fore the pictures and might stay for the bacon.

Sorry, we had the most stereotypical start to the morning - with all the maple we could carry, everything from oatmeal to beef jerky.

We were also test driving stoves, comparing Coghlan's camp heat to a Tangia burner, both in a Coghlan's folding stove. The Tangia was the clear winner, but it was good to learn that we now know how to use either in a pinch. The pot was just the smallest one we could grab out of the kitchen before heading out.

Eventually it was time to pack up. We had bought more food in the nearby town of Lakefield and it was getting a bit tight on the bike.

Instead of just retracing our route, we headed south on Water St. through the town of Warsaw then southwest on Warsaw Road back towards Peterborough. This is a good curvy road for getting through the area. We had intended to stop in Peterborough for a good Canada Day breakfast but with the downtown closed off for a parade and celebrations, it was easier to press on. We retraced our route back towards Millbrook.

The main street is just west of the main intersection so we missed it on our ride up. It was very quiet on this holiday morning and it looked like weather was starting to blow in. We rode around the block and were about to head out before we remembered this is what it is about - discovering new places. So we parked the bike and headed into Sylvia's family restaurant. We liked to think we started something as three more bikes pulled up and their riders came in right after us. However, riders have probably come here for ages. There is also a rep theatre in the town so the restaurant walls are covered in the headshots of many well known actors.